With the cycle of news shifting to a 24-hour watch, the field of journalism has become intense and competitive. The general public wants to be shocked, surprised, captured, or at least a bit affected by what it reads or sees in the news. They want it short and crisp, yet informative. These recent changes have affected the journalistic world and thus new requirements have cropped up. The publications are looking for someone that carries the core of journalistic value but also brings to the table some additional abilities that prove them as an asset. Before a candidate adorns the hat of being an interviewer they first need to be interviewed. Let us know more about “Journalist Interview Question”.
Nobody can understand the value that a questionnaire holds more than a journalist. It can unmask even the most hidden truth. Clearing a job interview is as stressful for a journalist as it may be for an engineer. It can be a more difficult situation as the person asking the question could be someone who is far more experienced in uncovering the facts. Thus a candidate aspiring to leave a mark in the world of news needs to be very careful with what they say during an interview.
Your experiences and references from people in the industry are important. But never make the mistake of assuming that once you are through the initial round of resume selection the rest will be a cakewalk for you. It would take one misstep for you to trip over and make a fool of yourself while answering the interview questions. Thus, it is crucial to be humble and start preparing for the possible questions in advance. Anyway, in the field of journalism, where speed determines your ability, wouldn’t it feel nice for once to take time out and be prepared? Especially, for a career opportunity that can prove to be a staircase to touch the sky – to separate fact from fiction.
The intent behind asking the questions
Finding out the reason why an action is done helps you narrow down the pointers that should be included. Thus, it is essential to understand the purpose behind all the interview questions directed at you. The values that will ensure that your flight in the field of news and communication is smooth are:
- A clear point of view
- Accuracy
- Fairness
- Accountability
- Credibility/ Trust
Incorporating these virtues in your answers as well as your work ethic will make you a trustworthy individual that leaves an impact. Be it the audience or the hiring manager, initially, they will keep an eye open for themselves. But with your reasoning and objectivity, you can combat their hesitation and gain their trust. Critical thinking and preparedness to face whatever may come is the attitude that the recruiting manager would be looking for in a journalist. Curiosity coupled with a research aptitude is an integral part of the personality of an able journalist. Publications and media outlets are looking for someone who is reliable and understands the power of the words written or spoken by a reporter or journalist.
Think about how it would reflect on you if you do not take measures to assemble the answers to your interview questions. It will indicate that this is how you would handle your work assignments – unprepared and inattentively.
Types of questions asked during a journalist interview
Having read the above-mentioned points, we now understand the intention of the interviewer questioning us. The interrogation will be done to gauge various aspects of a candidate. Right from their ethics to their behavior. The variation of these queries is an undisputed part of the interview process as being a journalist requires you to maintain your composure even in extremist scenarios. Elimination of personal bias when delivering news is like lungs to the body. Failure in normal breathing because of a decrease in lung capacity could tie you up to an oxygen cylinder for every breath. Similarly, dilution of truth because of personal opinions could distort the reality of many innocents. Leading to the collapse of the system.
Any publication would want to avoid a person who cannot contain their emotions. Thus, each query has a unique purpose. Some will be targeted at determining your soft and hard skills, while some will focus on your story pitching ability. Let’s look at different types of questions that a journalist may encounter during the interview process.
Warm-up queries
The questions that fall under this category will focus on discovering who you are. For a job position that requires seeking truth, being transparent, and sometimes even acting independently, the news house wants to hire someone aware of their reasons to be in the interview. The fuel that drives this chase in you, will be addressed through these interrogations. They want to know what principles you operate on.
A few of them are mentioned below along with a tip for answers:
1. Why do you want to be a journalist?
Tip: Be honest about your reason. It could be the factor of storytelling or the power of information to keep the authoritative people in check, or the curiosity to learn something new. Whatever fires this passion, admit it with conviction.
2. When interviewing someone, how do you decide up until when to ask questions?
Tip: When answering use the cheat code – Keep asking questions till you understand. As a journalist, you act as a bridge between the people being interviewed and the general audience. It is your responsibility to make the information as digestible as possible for the public. So, while responding to this question during the interview, orient this aim at the core of it.
3. With social media in the picture, there is a constant need to engage audiences even on online platforms. What is your strategy to make sure that there is an engagement in the stories you write?
Tip: With every passing day there is an increase in the number of people that use social media to know about the happenings in their surroundings and world. Thus, it is obvious that news agencies want someone who understands how to stimulate a response from the audience. Ensure that your answer reflects your knowledge about the same. Some points to include are: Writing articles with a conversational tone, acknowledging their responses, letting exchange of thought occur between the public, etc.
4. New news platforms are arising that use crowdsourcing as a tool to gather news topics. What do you think about this way of approaching headlines? Elaborate on its merits and demerits.
Tip: As an active part of the journalistic world, you may be aware of this system of collecting news topics. Even if you have a negative view of it, do not reject the idea right away. Build your points by providing context. First, explain and then conclude. Merits could include community-driven content and fast reporting. Whereas, the demerits could be that its application is location restricted and accumulation of large amounts of data to be fact-checked.
5. In press conferences, every journalist gets news at the same time. What are the possible steps you would take to ensure that you are still leading in such a scenario?
Tip: Here, the interviewer wants to know how prepared you can be for a situation where nothing is in your control. Admit the lack of control, and mention the points you will prioritize even in this mayhem so that the news you get to the studio is of the best quality.
Awareness round
These inquiries would be focused on rechecking your awareness about the field you work in. How much expertise do you have about the different facets that are involved in journalism? They want to know if you would take an initiative to learn about something on your own or would always require a prompt. Unraveling the professional capabilities you carry.
Below are a few questions that may be used for the above-mentioned objective, along with a tip that can help in answering them:
1. What are the ethical codes for a journalist in this area?
Tip: Journalism at its center is driven by the principle of accountability and transparency. But, there is a slight variation in the ethical parameters depending on the type of coverage that you will do, your location of work, and the weight that a story carries. Reflecting on such factors that have the potential to alter operational ethics in your answer will highlight the pragmatic knowledge you possess of this field.
2. Even though journalism is deemed as an independent entity, how can the authority control it?
Tip: Speculating about the possibilities that can come into force anytime, is one of the many roles of a journalist. The greatest damage to this sector could be the control of the content published by the authority. This will adulterate the fairness and balance of journalism with the biases. Therefore, when answering this question speak your mind, mention methods in which they are already controlling it or could in. Two such pointers that can be included are censorship and pressure passed on through advertisers.
3. Tell us about the information laws that you could rely on to retrieve facts from documents that are not available for public access.
Tip: Researching about a story depends greatly on documents. There can be a scenario where the required document is not easily available, then you will have to use such information laws to bring the truth out. Find out about such laws and frame them appropriately in your answer.
4. There can be times when you experience pushback from some part of your audience regarding a story that favors a right but controversial take on a topic.
Tip: This is the bitter truth, you cannot please everyone. So when answering this question acknowledge the reality, and reflect your take on the pushback around the essence of ‘Opinions hold zero value while the truth is the real deal.’
5. How would you interview a survivor who may exhibit PTSD symptoms?
Tip: You will get an opportunity to interview all kinds of people. But the survivor of a tragedy would need the most amount of consideration and compassion from your side. When responding to this question, tell them that you know how to act in a fragile situation. Also, mention that you will wait for the survivor to be ready for the interview.
Role-oriented questions
The interrogation under this category aims at understanding how well matched you are to the job position. Grasping an understanding of who you are as a person and what made you choose this profession. What motivates you to work in this taxing field that demands to be always on the go.
A few questions that are curated for this purpose are mentioned with a tip on how to answer them:
1. Journalism requires you to be on a 24/7 watch. Are you willing to be available through it all?
Tip: Inform them that your journalistic mode is never off. That you will be able to commit to the job fully to ensure that you get a lead on the story.
2. Share with us some of your best work.
Tip: Be prepared to walk in the interview with a detailed portfolio that also comprises the best of your work. A piece of evidence that speaks for your skills will prove to be of the greatest asset.
3. Are you familiar with the system that is used for effective content management?
Tip: To match the speed of technology is one of the side roles of a journalist. Tell them how you use various tools to review your articles and make them comply with the guidelines of the media outlet. Do not forget to focus on the benefits of incorporating prominent keywords, SEO, and different analytical tools.
4. What are the actions that you have taken in the past year to advance your journalistic knowledge?
Tip: Show yourself as an individual who is goal-oriented and never ceases learning. Include activities that highlight self-sufficiency, a sense of curiosity, and time management skills.
5. According to you, what are the responsibilities of a journalist?
Tip: Duties of a journalist include the capacity to gather information, writing ability, and present news in a balanced manner. Ensure to frame an answer around it.
Sample question and answers
Below are a few examples of journalist interview questions. A detailed answer to it is also provided for your reference.
Q1. What are the points to consider before deciding whether a particular topic requires you to go undercover or not?
Answer: Even though it is every journalist’s dream to someday work on an article that requires a garb of secrecy, I understand the challenges that come along with going undercover. Therefore, the points that I will consider before deciding if it’s the correct way or not are:
- Is there another way to tell this story?
- Who will be deceived by my lies?
- Is there a probability of any harm to innocent people?
- When the story is published, will I be able to explain to the audience truthfully about the ways I adapted to work on this topic?
- What are the consequences that I will have to face if the story does not work out?
If the answers to these questions work in the favor of the story, only then would I take the risk. This move will not only jeopardize me but also others around me in professional and personal space. So, I will only go down this path if there is no other way around it.
Q2. If you come across an opportunity where you have a victim’s narrative about the story you are covering, then what are the points you would contemplate before publishing it?
Answer: Firstly, a person that goes through a trauma, regardless of the cause, is not a victim. I believe that they are all survivors. Adapting to this approach in itself makes the story substantive and effective. We want the narrative to be that of overcoming the troubles. The aspects I would contemplate upon before publishing it are:
- Who and how many will be hurt after reading this report?
- Who and how may this story be helpful?
- Does my portrayal of the survivor and the questions it raises, align with the intention of my story?
- Most importantly, if the roles were reversed would I be comfortable with the way my story is being covered by the journalist?
Aligning the intent with the impact is the most crucial aspect of covering a survivor’s story.
What to do after the interview
Always ask questions once the interview is over. These inquiries could be about the specifics of the job position, the expectations from that role, departments you will be working regularly with, the subjects that the publication is currently working on which you could contribute to if you were selected, etc. But also make sure to not have too many of them. You want to come off as curious, not intrusive.
Follow-up with practical test
Once done with the questioning part, you will have to appear for a practical evaluation of your skills. An assessment where your words will be put through a round of examination. You could be given a simple topic that you would have to develop a story on. You could also be given a report on which you would have to suggest an improvement. Whatever it is, approach it with a sense of responsibility.
Conclusion
As a journalist, you play a pivotal role in ensuring that an authoritative figure is answerable to the public. You make sure that transparency is maintained in various sectors of society. The strategy of 5 W’s (what, when, where, why, who) + 1 H (how), is your greatest weapon. Remember your journalistic core and highlight it during the interview. Question everything till you understand. Answer everything with authenticity.
